Decluttering for goodness: tips to give away this Christmas!

Tips to declutter and donate during the Christmas Holidays

Usually, we declutter to make space for new things, or to dispend stuff we don’t use anymore. In a decluttering for goodness, you can pick up not just what you don’t use anymore, but things that you can have that will help someone else. Check it out!

Think about what you can donate

When starting your journey to declutter, the first step is to think about what you can donate freely. That’s important because donating something involves a feeling of giving away and feeling good about this. In other words, you can’t donate something today and complain about this tomorrow.

For example, if you put yourself in someone's shoes, there are a lot of people in need of a good coat to be warm in winter. So, if you have two, you can donate one.

So, to discover what you are comfortable donating, you can reflect on some things like:

• What do I have that I won’t need in a short period of time?

• What do I have that can help someone else?

• What do I have and like so much that I don’t want to give away with heart?

• What do I have that was an important gift, and I can’t get away from?

Don't select anything that is broken or torn

In the middle of your decluttering process, sometimes we select items that are not very good anymore. It is very important to double-check these items you selected so that only good things go to your donation box.

It is a good practice to make a detailed evaluation, even if it takes time. For example, if you have a shirt that has a little hole in it, it will probably expand with time, so don’t include it. You can probably recycle it or repurpose it.

Also, with toys, make sure you test it, especially if it’s electronic. This way, you know it works well, and the children who will receive it will have the same joy your kids had when they received it.

Wash clothes if is necessary

Another important tip when decluttering for donation is to wash the clothes before giving them away. That’s because some of them can be dusty or even have a particular smell.

This way, you can donate them clean and ready to use, especially considering that some institutions won’t be able to wash before they rehome the items. Some of the people that will have access to the donated items might not be able to wash them before they use.

It is a kind and nice touch to your intentions.

Involve the whole family

Decluttering doesn’t have to be a thing you do alone. On the contrary, if the whole family is involved in it, you get extra help, at you can all learn how to be grateful while selecting your own things.

Also, you can tell your relatives that you are decluttering, and they can join you, increasing the impact of your action.

Where can you send the donations in Ireland?

There are many charity institutions in Ireland that you can help. Here are some you can contact and discover how to donate:

• Sue Ryder Ireland;

• Charity Retail Ireland;

• Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation

At this time of year, when Christmas evokes charity, gratitude, and care for others, decluttering for goodness is a way of helping, especially if you are donating something you still can use, but will help someone else more than you.

So, follow our tips to declutter and find an institution to send it. Maybe, not just on Christmas, but for the whole year, you can contribute in many ways to make other people’s lives better.

Do you like the idea of decluttering for goodness? Share our article with friends and family and show how they can help you! 

                                                                                                                                                         By Mariana Teodoro